Condition

Acupuncture for chronic pain & injuries

For ongoing back and joint pain, acupuncture can bring real, if modest, relief. It's one of the non-drug options doctors suggest trying first for chronic low back pain.

How it can help

Aims for fewer and milder flare-ups and moving more comfortably day to day.
Works alongside exercise and your doctor's care, not as a one-time fix.
Best supported for chronic low back pain; more mixed for knee and neck.

What the research shows

In a large trial of older adults with back pain, 9 to 15 more people in 100 had a meaningful improvement with acupuncture than with usual care alone.
US physician guidelines list acupuncture among the non-drug options to try first for chronic low back pain, before medication.
Its edge over placebo needling is small, and much of the benefit is shared with it.